


Visions in the Night

by bookscape



Category: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Genre: Bigfoot., Gen, Idaho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 11:50:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20275453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookscape/pseuds/bookscape
Summary: Chip makes a solo hike in northern Idaho. After a fall, he is rescued by a surprising friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**When Chip Morton takes a vacation alone, hiking in the mountains of northern Idaho, he finds more than hiking trails and pine trees! **  
---  
  
**Chapter 1**

**Chip Morton seriously hated it when that little voice of warning that he occasionally heard was right on the mark. What was even worse was when friends agreed with the voice, making them right, too. Lee and the admiral would be getting a great deal of mileage out of this, Chip thought . . . _if I live long enough for them to do so_.**

**And it all came about as a whim. Chip had always wanted to see the grand forests of the northwest United States. Of all the places he had been and all the wonders he had seen, he had never been to the mountains of northern Idaho, or the wilds of eastern Washington state. Chip had compromised on this one, deciding to hike the area around Lewiston, Idaho, near the Washington border. It was loaded with national parks, medium range mountains and if the brochures were correct, spectacular landscapes. Flight to Spokane and then a shuttle to Lewiston where it would be a short drive to Moscow, which was west of the Bitterroot Mountain range. The submariner was pumped up, even to the point of hoping for a bit of snow before leaving the area to come home.**

**Chip had invited Lee Crane to come with him, but his friend had to back out when he had strained the ligaments in his knee in a diving mishap the week before their last mission had ended. Nothing serious, but it certainly precluded a hike up 2,500 foot mountains.**

**"I’m really sorry about ruining your plans, Chip," Lee had said after Doc’s directives had sidelined him. He had met Chip in the wardroom where they both had a cup of coffee during one of the brief down times during the mission. His knee was wrapped, he had a slight limp, but there was no other outward sign of his injury. Chip could tell that Doc’s restrictions grated on Lee by the set of his mouth.**

**"Ruining what plans? I’m still going," Chip replied.**

**"Oh? Who’d you get to go with you?" the skipper asked. He sounded a bit depressed. Chip figured Lee wanted to get away as much as he did.**

**"No one."**

**"You aren’t going alone are you?" Lee had asked, and then added somewhat sardonically, "The survivalists by themselves would be tough to run into, much less grizzly bears and mountain lions."**

**"Come on, Lee," Chip said in exasperation, ignoring the tiny niggling of unease that tickled the back of his consciousness. "I am a big boy. I am also using the same trail that the college kids take and I researched the area."**

**"I’m sure that’s summer hikes and they at least go in pairs," Lee protested.**

**At least he hadn’t mentioned that I also wasn’t a college kid****, Chip thought in irritation. "Lee, it’ll be fine. It’s only for a couple of days and I need the time away from everything that’s been going on lately."**

**"You’re crazy, Chip. You could get away a lot more safely in a beach house."**

**Chip could tell that his friend was really worried, although Lee tried to keep the conversation light. He decided to do the same. "I promise, Mommy, I’ll call when I get back to Moscow."**

**Lee cringed. "Even that sounds ominous."**

**"Idaho, Lee. Moscow, Idaho. University town."**

**"Be careful, Chip. And take plenty of pictures. I want to see them at our Christmas party," Lee added, seemingly resigned. There was something else in his voice.**

**"Jealous?" Chip laughed.**

**"Intensely," Crane had answered.**

**And so on the last day of an absolutely glorious mountain hiking trip, Chip slipped on an icy patch on the rocks where the path narrowed. He didn’t just fall down; he fell off the side of the blasted mountain. Later he realized that the only thing that had saved him was the heavy down-filled coat he was wearing, the pack he was carrying and the fact that he had made it more than halfway down that particular mountain slope before falling. Ironically, Chip also realized that he was only four hours from the trailhead and civilization.**

**He hurt everywhere and was cold—very, very cold. _I must have passed out for a while_, he thought, noting that the sun wasn’t straight overhead anymore. Looking around, Chip saw that trees surrounded him, pine mostly, although there were also a few bare aspens. He was lying awkwardly against one of the largest pines. The rough bark dug into his side. He took a deep breath and then tried to shift away from it. And then almost passed out again. There was an echoing cry of agony reverberating from the rocks above and he realized it was his voice.**

**Chip forced himself to calm down and then he assessed the situation. Deep breath—pain. He had bruised or broken a couple of ribs. His left leg was giving agony messages and he didn’t need to feel it to know that it was broken. Through the waving branches, he saw clouds racing across the late afternoon sky. _Great! Storm coming in._ Trying to ignore the pain, Morton pulled himself into a better position, sitting up. He gulped several shallow breaths of the rapidly cooling air to try and bring the waves of nausea under control. Then he slowly reached down using one arm against his chest to protect the damaged ribs. Lesser pain reached up through that arm. Nothing broken, but bruised badly, he figured. He felt the leg as gently as he could. Simple fracture, no bones breaking the skin, thank goodness, but the area was swollen and very tender to the touch.**

**During his examination, the pack shifted and caused more pain. He shrugged it off and then dug inside for the small first aid kit. Finding the aspirin, he chewed up a couple of them, not even bothering to take out the water bottle. That need would come later. Right now he had to try to temper the pain. Morton sat quietly, trying to take stock, hoping to figure a way out of this situation. He had noticed today that there was almost no one on the trail. It was the middle of the week, mid-term exams were in full swing at the local university and it was not the season for more than the most avid hikers to be out. No help there. But the admiral had insisted on Chip taking a small short wave he had been tinkering with, so he dug inside for it. It had been in a side pocket, not secured, simply because he didn’t think it needed to be. Didn’t think there would be this kind of an emergency.**

**It wasn’t there. Morton looked around the area, trying to spot something out of place. With growing anxiety, he realized he was the one who was out of place. Looking back up the slope, he also noted that no one would be able to see him from the trail, the air or anywhere but damn-near right on top of him. Pain shot up through his leg, not letting him forget that he wouldn’t be walking out of here. Chip realized that he needed something to bind his leg and ribs, secure them from further injury. He knew he couldn’t just sit here hoping for a miracle; he would at least have to try and crawl to an area more accessible to help.**

**Pressure bandages, wraps, gauze, and various antiseptics. The wrap, if long enough, might serve to keep the ribs from moving around. Slowly, deliberately, Chip pulled off the parka, shivering at the cold air that suddenly had much more effect on him. He gritted his teeth and tried to curb the reactions of his body. Shivering just increased the pain. Now was when he missed the over-solicitous nature of _Seaview’s_ CMO. He deliberately and slowly wrapped the stretchy material around his chest. It was awkward, but he still managed to get it on—not too tight, but enough to help. Finally, he attached the clips and rested a minute. He couldn’t believe that in this biting wind, he had been sweating. Now that he was inactive, though, he began to shiver, which increased his discomfort even more. Chip managed to get the parka back on and feel a measure of increased relief.**

**Even as he listened for the sound of voices on the trail above, Morton pondered his options. If he could use a limb as a crutch, he might pick a way parallel to the mountain path until he found help. There was nothing within sight, though. He also needed a way to splint his leg. Gritting his teeth, Chip pulled the breakaway poles out of rolled up tent and put them together. Two of the four were bent, but he only needed two, so he laid the two straight ones next to his leg. Although he worked slowly and methodically, binding the splint to his broken lower leg, he felt the waves of pain threatening unconsciousness. Concentration became difficult and Chip found himself fumbling and losing the ends of the tape. He shook his head and muttered an expletive. Carefully, he tried again. There was only so much tape, and Chip noted, only so much light left.**

**Finally, he finished the job. Wiping the sweat from his eyes, Chip looked toward the sky and was appalled at just how dark it had gotten. Again his eyes searched the small area for the transmitter, but it still eluded him. With finality and chagrin, Chip realized that he’d be spending the night right here. Before it got too dark to see anything, he undid the straps holding the sleeping bag on his pack. He fumbled with the cover, biting his lip when his impatience caused more pain. Finally he was able to extricate the sleeping bag and roll it out to its full length on the ground. So far, so good, he thought as the darkness became complete. Morton lay down on his good side next to the down filled bag and slowly unzipped the entire length. Then he rolled inside, gritting his teeth at the pain that radiated from his leg. He lay inside quietly for a while, trying to breathe evenly and attempting to placate his protesting body.**

**Chip didn’t try to zip up the sleeping bag. That would be later. Now he was thirsty and he drew the pack closer to find the bottle of water he had left for the final leg of his hike. He groaned at his unintentional pun, then froze. He blocked everything out but the slight crunching noise he heard. Someone, or something was approaching. Not a wolf or mountain cat. They would be quieter, he was sure. He decided to take a chance. "Hello," he called out. "Who’s out there?"**

**The noise stopped. If it were a wild animal, then perhaps his voice would scare it away. The soft sound resumed. "Who’s there?"**

**Morton wasn’t sure what to do next. He concluded there was little he could do. There was the flashlight, though and he dug for it, trying to remember just how he had packed everything in the pack. Then he caught a whiff of something musty, or musky. It was strong and he coughed slightly, again bringing his painful situation to the forefront of his awareness. Before he was able to do anything, something monstrous loomed above him, shutting out the light of the first few stars that he had been able to see. A soft growl, strong arms and Chip was lifted effortlessly, sleeping bag and all from the ground.**

**The pain exploded from the rough handling his body was exposed to and finally, mercifully, consciousness fled.**

**Chip woke in darkness and wondered if he was blind again, like that time he had played astronaut. Soon, though, he saw faint edges of dim light and realized that he must be in a dark room. Or cave, from the roughness beneath one hand. He heard a soft snoring, a whuffing type of sound and smelled the same musky scent of before, and decided it was his captor.**

**He took stock as best he could in the near total darkness of the cave, and noticed that he was zipped into his sleeping back with only one arm and his head exposed. His backpack was partially placed under his head. The cold penetrated his exposed arm, making his fingers half-numb and he drew his arm inside the bag. There was nothing he could do until he could see, but sleep. However, sleep wouldn’t come. Pain and uncertainty precluded any rest right now.**

**Chip lay still trying to remember what he had seen and heard before he had passed out. Whatever was sleeping nearby was huge. Even in the near darkness he had seen the stars blotted out by someone or something that couldn’t have been less than six and a half feet tall and very muscular. It had seemed to take very little effort at all to pick him up. Then there was the musky smell.**

**So who was he in the clutches of? Some half-witted or deranged hermit? Or one of those survivalists Lee had been teasing him about? Chip sighed. Again it all came back to the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do, especially now and certainly not in his condition. Chip tried again to relax and apparently succeeded to some degree because he awoke to the sight of a large man-beast shuffling around a dimly lit cave.**

**Almost as soon as he had awakened, it studied him and grunted. Then it turned away and picked up something Chip couldn’t see. When it turned back, it was holding Chip’s canteen. It held it out to him and he took it gingerly. The face was almost as hairy as the rest of its body and somewhat apelike, but with enough human characteristics to show a small range of emotion. As Morton pulled the cap off—he was very thirsty—he thought he saw friendliness on the dark nut-colored face. It nodded and turned back to the entrance, suddenly tense.**

**Chip listened, but heard nothing. Then he suddenly realized what he was face to face with. It was a Bigfoot—a real Bigfoot! The creature finally moved back to him. It still seemed tense, but there didn’t appear to be any anxiety directed toward him. Bigfoot sightings had seemed vague and tenuous and were usually dismissed because of a lack of irrefutable evidence. But here was one and it had abducted him, so to speak. What did it want with him if they were so shy and elusive to have only accidental and minimal contact? How much could it understand? It did, after all, know what his canteen was for. Chip took another drink and realized that the creature had filled canteen sometime while he had been unconscious or asleep. It was then Chip became aware of a soft trickle of water somewhere nearby. Wherever the Bigfoot had taken him, it was well supplied.**

**It held something in the hand thrust toward him and Chip studied it as closely as he could in the dim light. The small things appeared to be seeds or nuts of some kind. Perhaps pine nuts or something similar. It was offering him something to eat. Still he hesitated. The large beefy hand was thrust closer and it grunted softly to him. Like the offer of the canteen, Chip saw nothing but kindness in its actions. Reaching out, he took a small handful, tasted one and found, to his surprise, that they were dried berries; blackberries most likely. He ate more, holding them in his mouth to soften them, and then motioned to the creature to have some, too. It shook its head, and then pantomimed something. Chip didn’t have a clue what else the Bigfoot was telling him. Perhaps it had already eaten. Maybe it was genuinely concerned with his welfare. Chip took the rest of the berries and chewed them slowly, noticing that there were pine nuts in the mixture as well. He finished his breakfast with more water and then he studied his captor in the increasing light.**

**Even as he was studying the large creature, trying to figure out what in the world something as elusive as this would want with him, the Bigfoot began to pantomime and gesture. Chip had learned sign language but he was at a loss to understand what in the world the creature was trying to say to him. It motioned to itself and then pointed to something outside the cave. Then it pointed to him and then itself and made a variety of signs. The Bigfoot stopped and waited, presumably for a reaction. All he could do was shrug.**

**Chip tried some American sign language, but it shook its head and growled ominously. It paced, apparently frustrated, a few times in the small confines of the cave. "I’m sorry," he said. "I wish I could understand you."**

**It stopped and gazed at him intently as though willing him to understand then growled again in irritation, and walked out of the cave. Almost immediately it was back. Squatting in front him, the Bigfoot made a motion with its fingers that seemed unmistakable to him. _Speaking, talking._ "You want to say something to me. To tell me something. Right?" Chip made the same sign and then pointed from it to him. It nodded and made more signs. Forgotten, for the most part, was the pain of his injuries. It was pointing to itself, motioning to something beside it. It furrowed its brow and stroked the air. Still Chip was puzzled.**

**The Bigfoot’s sudden loud growl was loud enough to cause a pattering of gravel from the ceiling of the cave. Chip jerked back, afraid of what retaliation a creature this huge might choose to affect on him. There was no retaliation; instead, it stood and began pacing again, then it left the cave. It didn’t come back right away and Chip began to wonder if it was so disgusted that it was going to abandon him because of his failure to understand what it wanted.**

**That it was intelligent, he didn’t doubt. That it wanted to communicate with him was also not in doubt. But what did it want? And how the hell would they be able to talk to each other? Chip had a notebook in his pack that he’d been writing his impressions of his trip. But if they couldn’t talk to each other, they certainly couldn’t write to each other. He could draw things, though. What was it someone had once said? A picture paints a thousand words? Chip dragged the pack over and unzipped one of the pockets. It wasn’t hard to find the notebook. A bit more rummaging and he found a pen.**

**Looking up, he was startled to see the Bigfoot gazing at him, the dark eyes intent on what he was doing. He hadn’t even heard it return. It was uncanny, almost spooky.**

**In one hand was a pointed stick. It looked at his pencil, then at the stick in its hand and gave a quick bark. Of laughter, Chip hoped. He pantomimed drawing on his notebook. The Bigfoot moved to the side enough to allow him more light. Then it began drawing a picture in the dirt. It drew two pictures. It pointed to the larger one and then to itself. Chip pointed to the smaller one and then to himself. The creature nodded and gave that whuffing bark that Chip now figured was laughter or at least approval. It drew a picture like the one that represented itself, only a bit bigger.**

**With widened eyes, Chip realized what it was conveying. "There are two of you?" he asked. Before he could draw or gesture his statement, it nodded. Chip started to ask about the other Bigfoot when he realized just what had happened. "You understand what I’m saying?" he asked. "But how? I mean you have no contact with people."**

**It motioned for him to stop talking and continued to draw. Chip watched intently. The drawings became more and more intricate and occasionally he interrupted it to ask questions, trying to keep them at the yes or no variety. It finally dawned on him what she was trying to convey. He repeated what he was thinking to see if he was right. She patted him on the shoulder and gave the whuffing bark of laughter. There were two of them and this one was the female.**

**She made more drawings, pantomimed and gestured. Again, he checked for verification. It seemed that the male, her mate, had been captured recently by a group of men not too far away and the female was desperate. She had to be, Chip thought, to kidnap someone in his condition because her continued communication indicated that she wanted help to free her mate.**

**She made more gestures; more drawings. After more questions and some drawings of his own, Chip knew the male had not been captured by any government entity. It was some private group, ranchers or some other kind of civilian outfit. He wondered, though, as he hadn’t heard anything about the capture of a Bigfoot. Of course for the past couple of days, he had been incommunicado. When she had finished, Chip asked the obvious question, "Why me?" He also pointed out his injuries. "And how are you able to understand me? Obviously you couldn’t sneak into school." At that last she looked confused. She rubbed out the previous drawings and made new ones, this time punctuated by more pantomiming.**

**Chip was startled when she explained that she had met other humans some years before; humans who had lived deep in the woods in the mountains. He got the impression that these had been young; probably children and she had learned a lot of English from them. She said that they had not told anyone about her for a long time. Suddenly the Bigfoot stopped drawing, stopped pantomiming and stared at the floor of the cave. Chip waited, but she was totally still. There was only the trickle of water at the back of the cave, the soft sighing of her breath.**

**Something had happened. Chip could guess. "They finally told someone," he said softly.**

**She nodded and sighed deeply as she began to draw again. Adult humans had come and she had had to leave—to go even further into the mountains. They were both silent for a several minutes. It astonished Chip that she would contact any human, especially him in his injured condition.**

**Then she gestured and pantomimed something that astonished him even more. She and her mate had some kind of extrasensory awareness. A sort of people radar. She could sense not only the proximity of humans, which most likely had prevented more sightings, but a little of their predisposition. She had sensed in Chip something that superceded his military training and indicated that he would be sympathetic to her plight. She had realized that it would take a human to deal with the humans who had captured her mate. After several days of watching the backcountry, she had chosen him.**

**She sat back on her haunches and studied him as he assimilated the information and pondered. The transmitter! If he only had the transmitter he could contact the admiral. He pantomimed what he needed and she grunted, drawing her lips back in what appeared to be a grimace. He wondered if he had said something wrong.**  
  
---


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She made the whuffing bark that Chip had associated with laughter and he figured that the grimace was the closest she could come to a smile. Although she could understand spoken English, Chip wasn’t sure how much of what he was going to suggest she would be able to comprehend. In the end, he just decided to tell her and try to sign or draw anything she didn’t understand. "I have two friends I can call on my communicator who would be sure to help you get your mate back to you. Maybe they might also be able to find a safe place for you two to live." She made no move; only studied him for a while. Chip couldn’t tell is she was trying to understand what he had said, or deciding if his idea was too far-fetched. After a couple of minutes, he made ready to explain again, this time with pictures.

Before he could do so, she turned and grabbed his backpack in her huge hand, pulling it over to him.

"No, it was in the woods somewhere," he said, trying to motion the same thing with his hands. "I lost it or I would have called for help earlier." Chip was gratified that his wrist wasn’t hurting anymore.

She barked imperiously, silencing him as if the admiral had ordered him to be quiet. In a growl that sounded amazingly like the word ‘look’ she pointed at the pack and Chip looked inside. To his amazement he found the small transmitter. He looked up at her, grinning his thanks. She grinned back.

Chip checked the communicator out. There was nothing to indicate any damage but he wouldn’t know for sure until he had tried it. Chip turned it on and heard only static. Laying the transmitter down, he carefully eased himself out of the sleeping bag. He felt only minimal reminders from his ribs and bruises. His leg was still immobilized, but aching fiercely. "I’m going to try nearer to the entrance," he pointed out.

She offered him a beefy hand, which he took when he was in a position where her strength would give him the best advantage. With her help he was soon standing, his weight on his good leg. Still it was painful and he was panting by the time he had reached the short distance to the entrance. He also found himself leaning heavily on her shaggy body, but instead of feeling repelled, Chip felt strangely comforted.

He shivered in the cool morning air, despite still having on his heavy down jacket. Carefully he sat back down, just outside the entrance, pulled the antenna out, checked the setting for the NIMR access band and then clicked the transmitter on. "XO to home base," he called. There was some crackling and then it cleared slightly. He repeated the call.

"Home base. Chip?" It was Linda.

"Yes. Is the Skipper or Admiral available?

"Oh, yes, they were worried when you didn’t call in yesterday," she told him. "Your timing is very good. I just got here."

Chip almost snorted. Fourteen hours past due and they were bent out of joint? "I need to talk to them. Kind of urgent, Linda."

"You okay, Chip?" she asked.

He was tempted to play on her sympathies, but he resisted. Now was not the time to flirt with the office staff. And besides, he wasn’t sure he really wanted them to know just what he had gotten himself into by his carelessness. "Yeah, just need to talk to either Lee or the admiral."

The tone of his voice must have put off any more questions, because she simply said okay and let him wait. Chip noticed that the Bigfoot—and he realized he was going to have to see if she had some kind of name—was sitting next to him. Her body was keeping him warm, like a heavy blanket, he thought wryly.

"Chip?" It was Lee.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right?"

"I’m safe and I’m in one piece, if that’s what you mean."

"What aren’t you telling me?" Lee’s voice was the no nonsense one that had most subordinates jumping within a half second. It usually didn’t work with him, but again, this was not the time for playing games. The Bigfoot was counting on him.

"Little mishap on the trail. I met someone who helped me, so I’m okay."

"Thank him for me," Crane replied. "Are you in Lewiston?"

"No. However, you need to know that my friend is a she and she’s in need of help. Big time"

"She?" There was a great deal packed into that one word question.

"Yeah, she. I need you and the admiral to come in on the Flying Sub. There’s a lake in Washington. Lower Granite Lake. We can arrange a rendezvous when you land. You need to come in at night, too."

"At night?" That was the admiral.

"Yes, sir. This needs to be as covert as possible. We don’t need to draw attention to my friend or her plight."

"This new friend of yours must really be something, Chip," Lee interjected, humor coloring his voice. "To have you jumping to help like this. You always have been a sucker for ladies in distress."

Chip felt the heat rise in his cheeks and glanced at his hairy companion. Yeah, she was a lady, all right. She was something else. But was Lee going to be surprised when he saw this lady in distress! The Bigfoot gazed at him in slight confusion, but then she whuffed in what sounded strangely like amusement. Could she know what I’m thinking? "Um, yeah. That’s a pretty apt description, Lee."

"We’ll get ready now, Chip," Nelson said. "How badly are you hurt?"

"Broken leg, bruised ribs. That’s about it."

"We’ll bring Doc."

"No, Admiral!" Chip said quickly as he felt the Bigfoot tense. "No, my friend is a very good nurse. It’s nothing life threatening and . . . just the two of you. You have to trust me on this."

There was a long pause. "All right, Chip. But I expect a full explanation when we get there." The admiral sounded curious as well as slightly irritated.

"You’ll get one, sir. I guarantee it." Oh, yes, there would be a definite explanation when they took one look at his companion…. Then he switched off the transmitter and studied the Bigfoot. Did she have a name and ultimately would she consent to meet with Lee and Admiral Nelson? "Do you have some kind of name? Something I can call you?" he asked.

She let out a soft growl-bark-rumble that sounded something like Rrarkgrrr.

"Rrarkgrrr?" he tried to repeat. She nodded with a toothy grin, but placating, as though he had done a poor imitation. Apparently it would do, though. In the dust, she drew an outline of a Bigfoot and made rumbling growl noises that roughly sounded like Margrarr.

"Your mate?"

She nodded as though pleased with his intelligence. "Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane will arrive tonight at Lower Granite Lake." He augmented his comments with signs and pictures in the dirt to help Rrarkgrrr understand what the Flying Sub was. He finished by saying, "The admiral and Lee Crane are friends and will do nothing to hurt you. Together, we’ll figure out how to free your mate."

She nodded and then sighed. Pointing to his leg, she indicated the length of time it would take to walk to the lake. Then she pantomimed carrying him there.

Chip sighed. Lower Granite Lake had been the closest place he could think of where the Flying Sub could land and submerge, staying incognito. He had wondered how they would get there by evening, but had not known what other suggestion to give the two men. He seriously hated to put her out like that, even if she did look like she could break a telephone pole in half with her bare hands. "That’s quite a distance," he pointed out. "And I’m not that small."

She barked-laughed and signed that she was more than strong enough to do the job.

Chip didn’t doubt it and he knew there wasn’t any other alternative. "At sunset?" he asked, making sure he understood her. Rrarkgrrr nodded and then pointed to his sleeping bag. "Yeah, a nap would be good, if I was sleepy. You certainly need one, though." Soon they were lying side by side in the dark interior of the cave, she facing the narrow entrance, asleep but watchful even as any hunted creature might watch.

Despite his claim to the contrary, Chip apparently did fall asleep, because he awoke to more pain messages. He reached for his pack and took a couple more aspirins. The light seemed to indicate late afternoon but it was hard to tell in the cave. Rrarkgrr was still lying close by, but Chip was sure she hadn’t slept the whole time. He was chagrined to think that he had. Finally getting into a comfortable position, he thought about the craziness of this trip. He had often accused Lee of being a trouble magnet, but here he was, broken leg, sharing a cave with a Bigfoot. He sighed and felt Rrarkgrrr stir beside him.

She rolled over, sat up and gazed at him. Then she grunted and growled and pantomimed something. She wanted him to take something? Rrarkgrrr moved to the side of the cave where he could hear the dripping water. She came back with what appeared to be a large piece of bark. On it were stringy things, roots or shredded plant material like stems or bark, he couldn’t quite tell in the dimness. She motioned for him to chew on them. Chip studied the material, wondering if this was what Bigfoots ate. Then she pointed to his leg, touching the wrappings gently with one finger. She did the same with his chest, unerringly touching the sorest part. Chip suddenly realized that she was making it clear that this was medicinal, not food.

His next question to himself was if something that might be good for a Bigfoot would also be good for a human. They were similar, insofar as biology was concerned. He took one last look at what she was holding out to him and decided to trust her instincts. She had only helped him thus far and had been unerringly sure in all that he had needed. He took the bark plate, gingerly picked up a small piece of the plant matter. It was slightly oily, making him believe it was some kind of inner bark from a bush or small tree. What, he hadn’t a clue. He put it in his mouth, watching Rrarkgrrr to make sure he was doing this right. She nodded and grinned, motioning for him to chew it well. He did, although it wasn’t easy. The stuff was nasty! Reminded him of the occasional dose of paregoric his mother had given him as a child. He made a face, even as he chewed, and was slightly annoyed at Rrarkgrrr’s soft barking laugh.

"Do I swallow this stuff, or just chew it?" he asked after the piece in his mouth was pulp.

She motioned for him to spit it out, which he gladly did. Then she barked out an injunction to chew another one. With a grimace, Chip did so, while the Bigfoot took the remainder and put it in an open pocket of his backpack. After he had chewed the second piece for a while and was noticing the lessening of his pain, she made motions that indicated that she was ready to leave. Then Chip could have sworn that she was asking if he was ready to go. He nodded. She picked up the backpack and threw it over one muscular shoulder.

The light dimmed further and Rrarkgrrr carefully helped him to his feet. "I’m sorry to put you through this," he said, wincing at the slight pain. She grunted something unintelligible.

As gently as she could, she bent down and picked him up. Chip felt a slight surge of pain, mostly from his leg this time, but this, too was tolerable. Surprised at how quickly this woodland remedy seemed to be working, Chip determined to let the admiral examine one of those pieces and try to make out what it was. He checked to make sure the transmitter was secure in his parka pocket before he settled against her shaggy chest. Evidently he fell asleep, because he didn’t remember much of the trip. He woke to a hard surface underneath him and the buzzing of the transmitter nearby. It was still dark, only this time he was also cold. The sleeping bag had been left behind. "Rrarkgrrr?" he whispered. A slight echo told him he was in another cave—one that was larger than the previous cave. There was no answer. Morton could only assume that she was reconnoitering. The transmitter continued to buzz.

Carefully, he reached into his pack, which had been partly under his head, and pulled it out. "XO here," he answered softly.

"Chip, are you near the lake?" It was the admiral.

"Close enough, but in a hiding place," he replied, assuming that it was so. The transmission was clearer. He was able to pick up inside the cave.

"We are located just off shore at the southern end. I will be ashore in a short time. Set your transmitter to homing so I can pick up on it and find you. That will be much better especially with your injuries."

"Admiral, if you can safely secure the Flying Sub, I think you both should come."

"Are you that badly injured?" Nelson asked point blank.

"No, sir, it’s not that. I think it would be much better if both of you were involved in the initial meeting."

"Very well, Chip. Hopefully, it won’t take long to secure and find your position."

"Thank you, sir." Chip turned the transmitter on to its homing signal and looked up to see something large and dark blocking the dimly lit opening. He hadn’t even heard her come in. "Both of my friends are coming," he told her. She grunted and sat down next to him. Morton relished her body warmth. "I thought it better that we all meet together." She just grunted again. "And it will also be better at first if you stayed as quiet as possible and let me explain. I can almost be positive that as soon as the admiral gets over his initial shock, he will be very eager to help. Lee will also be willing to help, but is a bit more practical about such things and will want to know more about the situation." Morton still didn’t know just how much Rrarkgrrr understood of his longer ramblings, but she didn’t interrupt and he kept talking. "Lee’s also a top notch covert agent, too, so his help in getting your mate back to you will be invaluable."

They both sat quietly for a while and Chip thought he might have dozed. He felt her touch on his arm and he jerked into full awareness. At a glance, Chip realized that the admiral and Lee were quite close. The light on the transmitter was no longer blinking. Rrarkgrrr had her massive hand on his arm and he could feel the tension emanating from her. She didn’t need the transmitter; she just knew.

"It’s okay, Rrarkgrrr. They’ll understand. They trust me." Then he saw the narrow beam of a small flashlight. "Admiral? Lee?" he hissed into the silence.

"You there alone?" Nelson asked.

"No sir, but keep the beam low. Even a little light is blinding."

They complied and as Rrarkgrrr continued to tense, the admiral and Lee slowly entered the cave.

"Are you all right, Chip?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, thanks to Rrarkgrrr," Chip said by way of introduction. True to instructions, Lee kept the light beam low but still they could tell what was by his side.

"I believe only you or Lee could get into trouble in the woods and be rescued by a Sasquatch," Nelson said dryly. Chip could only grin at the typical comment from his superior. He felt Rrarkgrrr relax a bit by his side.


	3. Chapter 3

**"So you are Rrarkgrrr," Nelson continued, trying to say the name as Chip had. "I appreciate you helping my . . . co-worker. I daresay you probably saved his life."**

**Crane continued to stand quietly, for once speechless.**

**"I believe you’re right, Admiral," Chip said. He turned to his companion. "Rrarkgrrr, this is Admiral Harriman Nelson and Captain Lee Crane. We all work together."**

**Rrarkgrrr made a deep grumbling noise in her throat and nodded.**

**"So what do we need to do, besides get you to a doctor, that is?" the admiral asked, moving closer and sitting down in front of Morton and Rrarkgrrr.**

**"Rrarkgrrr's mate has been captured by a group of ranchers a bit north of here, if I understood her correctly," Chip explained.**

**The Bigfoot nodded her assent and proceeded to draw a crude map on the dirt floor of the cave.**

**Crane held the flashlight on it as she drew. His face showed amazement at her detail. "I bet we have corresponding maps in the Flying Sub." He described what he was talking about and then gazed into Rrarkgrrr's face. "If you are willing to come aboard her."**

**The Bigfoot looked startled, but didn't shake her head 'no.' With a deeply penetrating gaze she studied Lee. "We have to take Commander Morton—Chip—there anyway. We can get to the lake before sunrise. We won't be seen."**

**Everyone was quiet as she continued to study Lee and then the admiral. Finally, she gazed at Chip, who nodded his agreement. Then she, too, nodded. Rrarkgrrr began signing and Chip watched carefully in the dimness, which was relieved only by the muted light of the small flashlight.**

**"All we ask is that you try," Chip said softly, understanding her reticence.**

**"We'll need to leave quickly or sunrise will catch us short of our goal," Lee prompted. "Can you lean on me?" he asked Chip.**

**Rrarkgrrr shook her head and growled. She pointed to his pack and he knew she wanted him to have some more of her woodland remedy before they set out.**

**"Lee, as much as I have been reluctant to let her, Rrarkgrrr has been very easily carrying me around," Chip explained. He dug into his pack, finding the shredded root or bark and stuck a piece in his mouth. Admiral Nelson looked at him curiously and then examined a piece. "I don't know what it is, Admiral, but is works and I have not felt any ill effects."**

**The admiral nodded and rose to his feet, picking up the backpack. "Save a bit of that, if you can so I can examine it more closely when we get back to the Institute."**

**Chip nodded and continued chewing the pulpy mass. It wasn't quite as bad this time and seemed to take effect much more quickly. Lee slipped out of the cave to reconnoiter. The Bigfoot easily picked up Chip. He put one arm around her broad shoulders to help hang on and thereby help her. There was much less pain this time, but still he had to bite his lip to stifle a moan at the discomfort the movement caused him.**

**His distress didn't escape the admiral's notice though. "Are you all right, lad?"**

**"Yes, sir. I think this stuff is helping. It's not as bad as it was."**

**Rrarkgrrr eased out of the cave. Lee explained to her where they had beached the Flying Sub by showing a map he had hastily drawn on the ground. The Bigfoot nodded and set off in her sure long-legged walk. Chip noticed that even Lee had a bit of trouble keeping up. Only the underbrush and rough terrain kept her from totally leaving them behind. As she carried him through the darkness, Chip felt increasingly self-conscious over his helplessness. He would be much happier to have to be trotting to keep up.**

**Rrarkgrrr got to the shore several minutes before Lee did, and stood there gazing at the muted yellow shape. He could feel her tension.**

**"Rrarkgrrr, it looks strange, but it is very safe." He hoped she could feel his confidence. She grumbled deep in her throat but continued to hold him in her arms, presumably waiting for Lee.**

**Crane slipped out of the woods at that moment. "If you can wait a moment, I'll run her up on the shore a bit more." Lee gazed meaningfully at Rrarkgrrr. "That way you can take a look and not be too far from the forest."**

**Chip couldn't help but feel appreciation for his friend's astuteness. He recognized her intelligence while still understanding her apparent mistrust for things mechanical. Rrarkgrrr only nodded and watched Lee wade out to the moored submersible.**

**"Put me down, Rrarkgrrr," Chip said softly. "Water’s edge."**

**The Bigfoot gave a questioning whuff but did as he asked. "I appreciate what you’ve done, but I’m okay right now," Chip added to mollify her.**

**She nodded and then looked over her shoulder as the admiral broke through the brush. "Lee bringing it a little closer to shore?" he asked.**

**"Yes, sir," Morton answered.**

**A high-pitched hum punctuated the answer and the Flying Sub ground ashore with a crunching of gravel. Rrarkgrrr jumped back, almost knocking down Chip as the vessel powered down.**

**Crane popped the back hatch and rejoined the group, a paper in his hands. Unfolding it in the waning darkness, he spread the paper flat on the ground in front of Rrarkgrrr. "I pulled up a physical map of the area on the admiral’s new navigational computer and printed it up. If we had a pretty sure fix on where Marrgrarr is being held then we could get more information and know how we might get him out."**

**Rrarkgrrr gingerly stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on the large yellow craft.**

**"You should see what we normally travel in, Rrarkgrrr," Chip said with a chuckle.**

**Lee shone the flashlight beam on the map. "Do you recognize any of this?" he asked the Bigfoot.**

**She studied the features for some time before pointing to one of them. It was a tiny lake near a mountainous area of eastern Washington State, northwestern Idaho. Her large stubby finger rested on the particular spot as she gestured with the other hand.**

**It was obvious to Chip that Lee wasn’t following everything she was saying, so he tried translating. "Big valley, ringed by mountains. As far as Rrarkgrrr can tell, Marrgrarr is being kept in a large building on a ranch near the base of the mountains."**

**Rrarkgrrr nodded vigorously. He had evidently translated correctly.**

**"There are many fences, many horses, buildings of various sizes, men. Very difficult to get in and get Marrgrarr out." Chip continued, then paused and looked at the admiral and captain. "I would guess that this is a large ranch and if I understood correctly, the building that her mate is being kept in is not a typical barn or other ranch building. I suspect that Marrgrarr is being held by one of the neighborhood survivalists or neo-Nazi groups. Some right wing ultra-conservative outfit," Morton added morosely.**

**"I was thinking that as I was listening," the admiral murmured. Everyone continued gazing at the map and thinking his own thoughts.**

**"I have gone into more difficult missions," Lee said, breaking a short silence. "I think we need to give Angie and Linda a chance to find out what they can and then I can go in tonight. But we are going to have to find a place to hide. It’s getting too light and we’re too vulnerable sitting out here." Crane looked up at Rrarkgrrr. "Do you think you could stand being inside our machine for a short while?"**

**The Bigfoot gazed at him for a moment and then nodded, making gestures at the same time. She strode forward timidly and peered inside the open hatch. Gingerly, she stepped inside, one foot still on the soil of the riverbank. She sniffed loudly and then rumbled deep in her throat.**

**"You don’t have to do this," Lee said from behind her. "You can hide in the cave. We can submerge the Flying Sub in the lake and decide just how we are going to free Marrgrarr tonight."**

**"That might be best anyway," Chip added. Rrarkgrrr stepped back on shore.**

**"Except we need Rrarkgrrr near this ranch to help her mate when we do get him out," the admiral pointed out. "But I agree, we need to get Angie to help us out with information before we decide anything."**

**"I can take the Flying Sub out into the deeper water while I make contact and then swim back in," Crane suggested.**

**Nelson nodded, then gazed at Chip. "You need some medical attention soon."**

**"Admiral, there is nothing life threatening here and I want to see this out. Lee can pull out the first aide supplies in the meantime."**

**The admiral mumbled something inaudible, but he nodded. "Very well. We’ll work out strategies and wait for more information."**

**Crane handed over the first aide kit and then closed the hatch. As they backed away, he powered up the Flying Sub and slowly moved away, sinking slowly into the lake as he did so.**

**The Bigfoot grumbled softly under her breath and then turned to Chip.**

**With a sigh and a nod, he said, "I know the routine." Rrarkgrrr easily picked him up and the trio retreated back into the woods.**

**During the day, the admiral retraced the path to the lake, wishing at the same time that he had a cigarette. He was struck by the wonder that he was face to face with the object of decades of speculation and he was still ending up caught in the middle of spy operations. He hoped there would be a chance to spend more time with the Bigfoot. As it was, he felt fortunate that he had been able to ‘talk’ with her even this little bit. He had quickly come to the conclusion that her species was intelligent as well as extremely rare. Modern human incursion had not helped the situation any.**

**The admiral had seen nothing on his first reconnoitering except evidence of some activity, most likely fishing or camping, about a half mile along the lake. He hoped with the waning of the day that the people would be gone. Might be awkward for Lee to swim ashore with fishermen trying to get their quota of rainbow trout for the day. The dense woods thinned and Harriman saw someone hunched over a fire on the narrow beach. Marks of the Flying Sub’s beaching were evident and Nelson sincerely hoped.... Then he realized who it was when the other man stood and skipped a rock across the water. "Gave me a start there, Lee," he said.**

**"You’re pretty quiet yourself, Admiral," came the rejoinder. "Enough activity that I thought I’d better do more then just stand here or try to follow an indistinct trail."**

**Nelson chuckled. "So you’re irritating fishermen by chucking rocks out into the lake."**

**"Yes, sir," Lee replied. "Ignorant city boy seemed like a good cover."**

**"Did you find out anything from Angie?"**

**"Indeed I did. Maybe we’d better involve everyone on this and in more private quarters."**

**Harriman nodded and turned back toward the cave. He went a bit round about but still, it wasn’t long before they reached the cave. The admiral softly announced himself and they entered.**

**Lee handed bottles of energy drinks all around, even to Rrarkgrrr, who sniffed at it before emulating the humans and quaffing it down. Lee handed out packets of C-rations and while the others were busy with their chow, he began. "It seems that the land in question belongs to one Marcum Joseph Sanders, head of the Patriot Freedom Brigade. His holdings include not only his home and ranch, but also a fortified bunker that is reputed to be able to withstand anything other than a direct hit by a nuclear bomb. He has storage facilities, a continuously flowing spring and all told, is totally self-sufficient. Several hate crimes in the area have been linked to his organization."**

**"Terrific," Morton muttered.**

**"Oh, there’s more," Lee continued. "It seems he offered Dr. Sterling a rare and unique animal specimen a few days ago."**

**"Specimen?" Nelson asked.**

**"Live specimen."**

**"Why didn’t Sterling inform me of this?" the admiral growled.**

**Chip knew that NIMR’s top biologist was going to get a dressing down when this was all over.**

**"Angie says he told her the offer smacked of National Inquirer sensationalism. I told her to get in touch with them, let them know Admiral Nelson had finally been informed of the offer and was interested in purchasing the specimen." Everyone looked intently at him. "She was told that the admiral was too late. Someone else was making the purchase."**

**Everyone was quiet, except for Rrarkgrrr, who was huffing in anger and anxiety.**

**Crane pulled out a diagram. "Angie sent this to me. It’s a schematic of Sander’s ranch and the buildings."**

**Nelson looked questioningly at Crane. "Where did you get something like this?"**

**"I called in some favors from ONI," Lee said sardonically. He pointed to one of the buildings. "Believe it or not only a few days ago this area was under surveillance with heat sensing devices. The most likely place for Rrarkgrrr’s mate is in here," he said, pointing to a building in the middle of the ranch complex. "I think I can go in tonight and get Marrgrarr."**

**"How, Lee?" Chip asked. "You can’t just saunter in there and ask to see the Bigfoot."**

**Crane just grinned. "Why sure I can, partner," he just drawled in a highly stereotypical cowboy fashion. "Gather around the campfire and I’ll tell you how."**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lee continued. "That crack of Sterling’s gave me an idea. ONI is going to expedite some things to make it easier, too. There is a rancher named Johnson whose family’s owned their land since the Brigham Young days and who is not too happy with the state of things since Sanders and company sailed into port. He’ll outfit me with a horse and whatever else I’ll need. I’ll take a micro-camera—that’s to benefit ONI if I can get away with some pictures."**

**"But the Flying Sub will need to be close for back-up," Nelson said.**

**"Johnson has a large lake, large enough for FS 1 to land and hide in, if need be. That’s been part of Johnson’s problem. Sanders wants his property in a big way. The lake, mainly, and has been harassing him over it. Johnson would like nothing more than to have Sanders taken down a notch or two."**

**"Still sounds too dangerous—too shoestring," Chip grumbled.**

**"We have to. Scuttlebutt says that this ‘specimen’ sale will be in the next day or two," Lee said grimly.**

**"You have quite a bit of information in a short time, Lee," the admiral said. "But not as much as I would have liked."**

**Rrarkgrrr sat quietly listening. Chip could see Admiral Nelson studying her just as he had and was probably coming to the same conclusions—that the Bigfoot could understand almost everything they were saying. Her eyes were anxious and a small moaning sound escaped from her as she listened.**

**"Nor I, but I was assured by ONI that this rancher is trustworthy."**

**"How much did you tell Angie, Lee," Chip asked.**

**"Hmm, only that the specimen in question needed to be freed, not kept a captive of the highest bidder. I am going to have to really treat her to something nice. She was juggling several contacts at once on this one."**

**"So the government is nervous about this Patriot group, too, I gather?" Nelson mused.**

**"Yes, they are, but so far have had no reason to deal with them openly."**

**"Lee, I am going with you. I can’t let you try this one alone. There is so much that is variable—that could go wrong," the admiral said, rubbing his chin.**

**"I think it will work better if I’m alone. You and Rrarkgrrr can play back up just outside Sander’s property line. Besides, how good a rider are you, sir?"**

**"Horseback?" Nelson snorted. "Probably not much worse than you."**

**Lee chuckled. "Admiral! I have had a little more experience, you know. And I need someone who can really back me up." He looked at Chip. "No offense."**

**"None taken, but where does that leave me?"**

**"With a broken leg," Lee said tersely. "You will be babysitting the Flying Sub. We have to minimize Johnson’s role in this. He kind of wants to stick around for another couple of generations from what I gather and the less he’s directly involved, the better."**

**"We can’t do anything before dark," Nelson pointed out.**

**A gruff bark brought their attention back to Rrarkgrrr. Everyone gazed expectantly at her. She signed and made drawings in the dirt.**

**"She’s going to take off now," Chip translated. "It’s already late afternoon and she wants to be by this lake when we are ready to begin the operation tonight."**

**"But isn’t traveling by day tricky?" the admiral asked.**

**She motioned some more. They all got the gist of that one.**

**"It’s for her mate and she’ll be careful. She’d rather do that because she doesn’t think she could stand to be in the Flying Sub with the hatches shut," Chip explained.**

**"I can well imagine your dilemma," Crane said to the Bigfoot. "Be careful," he and the admiral said at the same time.**

**Rrarkgrrr whuffed softly to each of them and then reached down and touched Chip’s leg. She made several motions, murmured something deep in her throat and then said, "Chip," slurring the first sound. She turned and was gone.**

**The three men gazed at each other in amazement for several seconds.**

**"I would give my eyeteeth to spend some quality time with her," Nelson murmured.**

**"I can imagine it would be interesting," Lee replied softly.**

**"It has been," Chip mused. "She is truly an amazing person. I wonder how many are left?"**

**"Besides her mate, I would guess very few," Nelson replied. "There probably have been only a few all along."**

**"I sure hope you can get her mate out alive, Lee," Chip said reflectively.**

**Crane only nodded. He appeared to still be trying to assimilate everything that had happened in the past few hours. "By the way, how are you feeling, Chip? I know Doc is going to have our collective hides for not getting you immediate medical attention."**

**"I don’t think it’s anything more than a simple break, Lee, and Rrarkgrrr has been taking very good care of me. You saw what she found out in the woods to help with the pain."**

**"Yes, I am definitely going to check that out when we get back to the Institute," Nelson said. He turned his attention to Chip’s broken leg. After a few minutes, he straightened up. "I checked and you’ve immobilized it pretty well. But we are going to have to head for the Flying Sub in a very short while and I know it will be difficult."**

**"I’ll be okay," Chip reassured them.**

**But when they left for the lake, it was very slow going and by the time they had reached the shore, Chip was fighting to hide the pain he was feeling. He knew Lee, on whom he had leaned the entire way from the cave, was exhausted. Between sleepless nights, the anxiety of upcoming missions, plus hauling him all the way down the path, Lee couldn’t have a great deal of energy left.**

**As though reading the same message, the admiral said, "I’ll take us into Johnson’s Lake, Lee. You are going to get a little bit of rest."**

**"Aye, sir," Crane said, not arguing the least bit. Just from that alone, Chip knew that his commanding officer was tired.**

**The admiral donned the previously hidden air tanks and swam into the lake that was growing darker as the sun settled behind the mountains. Lee continued to let Chip lean against him. The exec had refused to sit down and Crane had not argued with him. From experience he knew that it was much more painful to get up than if he just remained standing. Within a short time, the admiral had the Flying Sub on shore and was opening the rear hatch. By this time darkness had fully descended. After helping Chip into the co-pilot’s seat, Lee sat down behind the admiral and buckled himself in. He leaned back and closed his eyes.**

**Chip watched the admiral maneuver the Flying Sub and pondered at the same time what Rrarkgrrr, the Admiral and especially Lee were going to do in just a few short hours. He wasn’t any happier about it now than he had been earlier, but he had asked for their help and they had willingly given it.**

**Nelson glanced over at him but only nodded. Chip took the cue and said nothing as well. Behind him, Lee appeared to have already fallen asleep. That just added to his frustration, but he simply sighed and watched out of the bow window as the admiral guided the small vessel into deeper water and prepared to take off. Within a few minutes he powered up the reactor engine and guided the sub into take-off mode.**

**Another few minutes and they were airborne. The trip was extremely short. The admiral circled several times before speeding off in the direction of Johnson’s Lake, consulting the map on the screen before taking the craft down again toward a dark surface that seemed to reach for them in even deeper darkness. The FS 1 splashed down smoothly and submerged. The admiral closed the collision doors and navigated by instrument, but it was only a short time before he powered the vessel down, allowing ballast enough to hover halfway between the surface and the bottom of the lake.**

**Nelson quietly gathered the diving gear while Crane continued to doze. Finally, he nudged Lee awake. As usual, Lee didn’t waste any time coming to full wakefulness and within minutes he and the admiral were suited up. When they were gone, Chip got as comfortable as he could in the pilot’s seat and kept an eye on the instrumentation.**

**"Are you reading us, Chip?" the admiral’s voice came over the headset.**

**"Yes, sir, and I have you on the scope."**

**"Good. We’ll keep you apprised of what’s going on."**

**"Aye, sir," was all Chip could say. With a sigh, a very disgruntled Chip Morton sat back in the seat and continued to watch the instrumentation.**

**The admiral led the way to the shore, Lee right behind. A tall, slender man whose eyes glowed with curiosity met them. The two submariners noticed three horses tethered nearby. The rancher held a rifle in casual ease, but they didn’t doubt that he would be ready to use it in a second. His other hand held a small lantern with muted glow.**

**"Admiral Nelson?" he called out softly.**

**"Yes," the admiral responded, taking off his fins.**

**"I have always thought it would be nice to meet you, but never imagined it would be like this," he said with a soft chuckle.**

**"Joseph Johnson**?" the admiral asked the tall rancher when he had straightened up.**

**"Yes, sir, at your service."**

**Nelson nodded and pointed to Crane, who had finished removing his fins and tanks. "My captain, Lee Crane."**

**"Captain." His mouth quirked into a sardonic smile. "You know I heard you Navy boys like your water, but this might be taking it a bit far."**

**Lee was helping the admiral off with his tanks, but chuckled at the joke. "Yes, sir, but I hear your neighbor likes your water equally well."**

**The smile disappeared and Johnson sighed. "Nice place here until those . . . uh, so-called survivalists showed up." The voice was bitter.**

**"Well, we can’t tell you what we’re exactly up to, Mr. Johnson," Nelson began. "And if we’re caught there could be hell to pay."**

**"Yes, sir, Admiral, I realize that, but when the call came from your institute telling me that you were coming to get something that didn’t belong to Sanders, I just had to agree to help." His mouth again formed a smile. "Civic duty and all that, you know."**

**All three men laughed softly but then sobered quickly. "We need to be briefed on the lay of the land, on Sanders, anything you can tell us," the admiral said.**

**"Well, first of all, you’re not going to get within that compound easily," Johnson said.**

**"We kind of figured that," Harriman replied. He wondered if Lee even had a plan yet. Somehow, he doubted it.**

**"You especially, Admiral."**

**"Me?"**

**"Yes, sir. Sanders has pulled within his ranks strapping young men, most of them tall, beefy and rugged types." He paused a moment and then hurried on, as though embarrassed by what he was saying. "Most of them look like they’re from the Nordic ski team, but there are some you could pass for, Captain," he added, looking at Crane. "Beside the fact that Sanders would know a great deal about you, Admiral. You’re fairly famous, you know."**

**"But by an Idaho rancher?" Nelson protested.**

**"Admiral, I’d be insulted by that if I didn’t know you meant nothing by it." Another pause. "Calling Sanders a rancher, I mean."**

**Crane snickered softly. By now, all the diving equipment had been hidden and they were walking toward the horses. Johnson swung on the largest with an easy grace, watching the other two men with interest.**

**Harriman studied the two mounts by the dim moonlight, while one of the horses reciprocated.**

**Lee handed the reins of the more placid seeming mount to the admiral. "We’d already decided that I’d be going in alone with the admiral standing by as back up. If anything blows up in our faces, we were on your property uninvited, Mr. Johnson," he assured him.**

**"No involvement that Sanders could take you to court over," the admiral said tersely and with finality. He carefully put his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up.**

**Crane did the same with the assurance of one familiar with riding horse and yet not with the total ease of a practiced horseman. "Where are we going, Mr. Johnson?"**

**"A shed nearby, where I have some more suitable clothing for you, Captain. And a little further from the property line, just in case."**

**Neither submariner said anything. Johnson led the way up a trail bounded on one side by a rocky ridge. Crane, suddenly suspicious, pulled a pair of night vision goggles from the waterproof pouch he had brought with him. The lenses brought everything into sharp and clear focus. There was a slight movement among the rocks and Lee signaled the admiral.**

**Quickly, he slipped from the gelding and dashed into the rocks hoping that the movement he had seen indicated only one person. Lee could hear only a quick scrabbling among the rocks, then a muffled thump and a groan, then silence. Silently, he pulled out his pistol and advanced cautiously. The lenses showed a great deal, but there were still pockets of shadow behind rocks and brush. A huge shape divorced itself from behind a stand of aspen.**

** \-----------------------------------------------------**

****Joseph Johnson is named after my great-grandfather, the son of a Danish immigrant who settled in Preston, Idaho. The Johnson family was fairly prominent in southern Idaho. And indeed, there are many modern day ranchers and farmers in Idaho and other western states who can lay claim to setting their roots in their respective areas due to directives from the nineteenth century Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint President, Brigham Young. Most of these people are friendly and fiercely independent.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Lee sighed. It was Rrarkgrrr. He walked up to her and made the downward sweeping motion which Chip had told him was a Bigfoot greeting. She whuffed softly and pointed at the still form on the ground. "Ever consider joining the ONI?" he murmured. Bending down, Lee was pleased to see that she had not only immobilized the spy whom he assumed was from Sanders’ ranch, but this man was similar in build to himself. With a feral grin, Crane began to strip the errant cowboy.**

**"Lee!" a voice hissed.**

**"Here, Admiral," Crane called softly. "You alone?"**

**"Yes, for the moment," came the voice closer to him. The admiral soon joined him. He looked at Lee, then Rrarkgrrr and then at the inert form on the ground who was quickly being reduced to a half naked cowpoke. "Well, he is close in build. Does this alter your plans much?"**

**Crane chuckled as he pulled off his own thin clothing. "Alter my plans? What plans? It’s very fortunate that he happened along. Certainly saves me the trouble of trying to find a way into that fortified dude ranch." He looked up at Rrarkgrrr and then back at the admiral. "And doubly fortunate that Rrarkgrrr happened along. She caught him." He gazed back at the Bigfoot. "Thanks."**

**She just growled softly and then melted into the shadows.**

**"Everything all right?" Johnson asked as he came up the trail.**

**"Yes, Sanders apparently sent someone to keep us company," Lee responded in a low voice. "Very accommodating, wouldn’t you say?"**

**Johnson chuckled. "Indeed."**

**Crane finished putting on his borrowed outfit and then looked up at Johnson. "You wouldn’t happen to have something to tie him up with, would you?"**

**"As a matter of fact...." Johnson said, turning back down the trail.**

**"Not bad," Nelson commented wryly, studying Lee in the dim light. The jeans and shirt were necessarily dark, as were the boots and hat. The younger man was studying items in a wallet.**

**"Boots are a bit too big, though, but I’ll manage." He bent to pick up the unconscious man and then straightened up and turned toward the admiral. "The only thing I need from him," he began, pointing to the man on the ground. "Is some information, including how he got here. If you stall Johnson, I believe that Rrarkgrrr would be very effective in that regard."**

**Nelson nodded and grinned, his own night vision goggles making him appear wolfish. He turned and walked back down the path where Lee could only just hear the rancher returning.**

**Crane dragged the unconscious man up into the rocks a little further and then hissed for Rrarkgrrr. The Bigfoot slipped out of the shadows like a wraith, startling him even though he had been expecting it.**

**"Shall we get this guy to talk to us?" he asked.**

**She whuffed, a confused look on her face.**

**"Sorry, Rrarkgrrr. Just let me do the work. All I want you to do is look really menacing and be ready to help if I ask," Lee explained. She seemed to understand a great deal, but he worried that she would understand enough. He wished that Chip could have come along. He and Rrarkgrrr seemed to have an almost intuitive connection that he knew she didn’t have with him. Regardless, she nodded and leaned over the prone figure of Sanders’ spy.**

**Lee shook him and waited. After awhile, the man began to slowly come around. "Welcome back, cowboy," Lee said quietly. The man peered over his shoulder and saw Rrarkgrrr, her teeth gleaming whitely in the dimness. "You’ve met my associate, I see. Now perhaps you’ll answer a few questions for me."**

**To his credit, the man shook his head. Rrarkgrrr growled ominously and grabbed him by the throat. The prisoner whimpered and tried to pull away.**

**Lee said calmly, "She's a bit irritated that your boss has her . . . friend. She's gathered all her kin and they're ready to tear Sanders and his compound apart.**

**"Who are you to know them?" the man choked out.**

**"Let's just say I'm a friend of the family. Someone that they trust at any rate." He paused and pointed a thumb over his shoulder to where Rrarkgrrr was standing impatiently. She growled ominously. "Now suppose you tell me a little bit that we want to know. First your name." He already knew he man’s name, but wanted to test his willingness to spill his guts.**

**The man seemed to suddenly figure out that he was almost buck-naked in the cold night air. "Hey, my clothes."**

**"They fit nicely, thanks. Now, your name, cowboy," Lee persisted. "Clothes will be the least of your worries."**

**Rrarkgrrr leaned over Lee, showed her canines again and growled.**

**"Mike Haslin," the prisoner said hastily.**

**Good start, Lee thought. "And when is the Bigfoot supposed to be moved out?"**

**There was another hesitation and Rrarkgrrr was quick to reach down with a large hairy hand and lay it around Haslin's neck. Lee could see her fingers trembling. He didn't envy their prisoner.**

**"Tonight! Tonight," he croaked out.**

**"When?" Lee asked, anxiety rising in his chest. And so the questioning continued until he felt he had gotten enough information. He looked at his watch. There was no time for further questions. He knocked out Haslin with the butt of his gun and then turned to Rrarkgrrr. "I'm going to let the admiral know we're leaving now. If we're going to rescue Marrgrarr, it has to be now, or he'll be gone."**

**Rrarkgrrr nodded and growled ominously deep in her throat. Her eyes blazed in the darkness like hot coals. As it was, the admiral was on his way up the path.**

**"We have to get in there now. Some Australian big shot has bought Marrgrarr and Sanders is shipping him out tonight. In a couple of hours. I'm going on foot. Horse would be too skittish around Rrarkgrrr and I believe I'll need her."**

**"Doing this too much on the fly, Lee," the admiral understated.**

**"Probably, but it's the only way. I do need to make a quick stop at the Flying Sub for a bit of ordinance and then head straight out."**

**"You get an extra micro-transmitter. If there's trouble, to hell with protocol, we're coming in."**

**Lee grinned. "And get busted for trespass? For shame, Admiral." But Crane knew it was all a gamble. If his half-baked plan worked, he'd be giving Sanders a blow it would take a great deal of time to recover from--if ever. The Feds would love checking out why such a big explosion was coming from a so-called working ranch. He turned to Rrarkgrrr. "I'm going into the lake to get some things from Chip. Meet me on the other side of the lake, near the fence."**

**She nodded and melted into the darkness.**

**He and the admiral headed back down the lake where Johnson was waiting.**

**"Sounded like you have some hefty back-up, gentlemen," Johnson said with a wry grin.**

**Lee said nothing, only nodded to the admiral and then waded into the lake. The boots quickly filled with water and became uncomfortable. The things he wouldn't do for authenticity, he thought wryly. When he was deep enough, he dove in and easily swam the twenty feet to where the Flying Sub hovered just above the bottom.**

**When he opened the unlocked hatch, Chip was waiting for him, a pistol in one hand. He set the gun aside and looked quizzically at his commander. "Cowboy doesn't become you," he commented dryly. "Especially wet. Why in the world didn't you wear your wet suit?"**

**"If I'm discovered, which I don't doubt will happen, I have a ready story." He paused for dramatic effect. "A Bigfoot chased me into the lake." He shivered suddenly. The water was cold this time of year.**

**Chip just gaped. "Do you realize just how that sounds?"**

**"Crazy to anyone except the person who has a Bigfoot in their possession."**

**"You're going to tell them that Marrgrarr's mate came?"**

**"Something like that. All the kith and kin ready to take out Sanders to get their buddy." He shrugged. "Or something like that," he repeated. He dug into the ordinance locker then pulled out a small package. "Hopefully, though, it won't be necessary for Rrarkgrrr to do more than make a quick appearance at a judicious time." He grinned. "Poor Sanders forgot that you have to properly store explosives or they'll blow up on you."**

**Chip's eyes widened and then he began laughing. "You're going to blow the place?"**

**"Just the ammo dump. No self-respecting ultra-conservative survivalist would be caught without one," Lee said with a grin. "Good diversion," he added.**

**Chip's countenance sobered. He felt anxiety clutching at his throat and his helplessness seemed tenfold. If not for the leg, he thought angrily. "Those people aren't playing games, Lee."**

**Crane nodded even as he still dug for what he wanted. "I know, which is why I want the diversion. I can't count on pretending to be one of Sanders' men for long. They're just too paranoid." He found everything he needed and placed it into a waterproof bag and then he turned to go. "I'll be in contact as much as I can."**

**"Good luck, Lee."**

**With a nod, Crane slipped into the dark waters and disappeared. Chip left the hatch open for some time before hobbling over and closing it. Then he sat down to wait.**

**Crane and Rrarkgrrr approached the Sanders' Ranch gate and studied it from behind a stand of rocks. It appeared that they not only had surveillance, but scanners as well. Lee pulled out Haslin's ID. Nothing the cowboy had on him seemed to be different for getting into a special compound. Then he took a closer look at the Idaho driver's license and saw some marks in one corner that seemed to be different from the norm. Tiny dots, probably microdots. "Okay, Rrarkgrrr, give me a few minutes to get in and then begin a commotion. A lot of noise--enough to make them think there are several of your people here. Then get away. I don't want you to get hurt."**

**Touching his arm, Rrarkgrrr made several motions and sounds.**

**"You want me to give a message to Marrgrarr?" When she nodded, he asked, "What's the message?"**

**The Bigfoot made a series of growling noises that all seemed the same to Lee, but he attempted to duplicate them. She seemed satisfied with his third attempt and then showed him a hand motion/growl combination. That was easier and Crane duplicated it the first time. He did it all again to make sure he had it. "Rrarkgrrr, you will need to stay by the boundaries of the ranch. I don't think your mate will be as easy to talk to as you are. He's going to be very, very angry and you'll need to be near to calm him down."**

**She whuffed her understanding and he set off toward the gate. There was still water in his boots and Lee squelched toward the gate as though he knew what he was doing--acting like someone with a definite destination and recently scared silly.**

**Haslin?" the guard asked. "What the hell happened to you?"**

**Keeping his head down enough to hide most of his features, Crane answered in Haslin's slightly deeper voice, "There's a Bigfoot out there. Spooked m'horse. Only way I got away from it was to jump in the lake." He handed over his ID card and tried hard not to snicker at his inadvertent joke.**

**The guard laughed uneasily. "You nipped early, Mike."**

**"Uh, uh. There's more out there, I tell you!"**

**The guard walked closer and tried to peer at Lee's face in the shadows.**

**"I'm cold, I tell ya," Crane muttered, wrapping his arms around himself and tucking his chin against his chest. "I want to get into something dry."**

**The guard scanned the card but kept gazing at Crane as though he sensed something not quite right.**

**"Hurry up! I'm cold! And you're keeping me from reporting in!"**

**That did it. The guard gave him the ID back. "Take the 'claim jumper'," he said, pointing toward a four-wheeled ATV. "It'll be quicker since you lost your horse."**

**Lee nodded, muttered a quick thank you and hustled toward the vehicle. _Claim jumper? They were giving names to their equipment, too? _He just shrugged and got back to the business at hand. The key was in the ignition and Lee started the ATV. As he put it in reverse, he glanced toward the outer darkness where he knew Rrarkgrrr was watching. Crane snuck a quick look at the guard. The man was still watching him. Lee just had to hope that Rrarkgrrr stuck to the original instructions. Then a sudden thought struck him and he almost smacked his forehead that he hadn't thought of it before. If he took out the guard, he would have Rrarkgrrr to help him get Marrgrarr out that much sooner. Leaving the ATV running, he sauntered back to the guard. "You didn't give me my ID back," he growled.**

**"Yes, I did. I gave it to you and you took it from me and put it in your pocket. That one," he pointed to Lee's right pocket. As the guard leaned over and pointed, Crane cocked his fist and hit him on the side of the head. That was followed by a quick karate chop that laid the guard cold on the ground. He whistled and Rrarkgrrr materialized out of the shadows beside him, startling him. "Rrarkgrrr, you're going to have to teach me how you do that sometime."**

**She whuffed softly, sounding amused.**

**Lee dragged the guard behind the sentry shack and then pulled off the man’s belt and trousers, using them to bind and gag the unconscious guard. Turning to the Bigfoot, he whispered, "I think we're quickly running out of time. You will need to come with me to help me locate your mate. I believe they might already be moving him out of here." She nodded and pointed to his ATV. "Yes, I'm going to go ahead and take it. Much faster that way. I'm afraid that it won't hold you, though."**

**Rrarkgrrr just motioned for him to go ahead. When Lee got on the ATV and started down the road, she followed at a lope, easily keeping up with him. They quickly reached the perimeter of the main complex and Crane pulled off the trail. She slipped up beside him, her breathing barely more than normal. He was astonished, but there was no time to ask questions. From the looks of things, they quickly had to get down to business.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The two infiltrators lay on their bellies on the cold ground watching the activities in the main compound. Even at this late hour it was quite active below them. Crane pointed to a deuce and a half truck near the largest building and then signed to the Bigfoot. She leaned close. "That has to be for Marrgrarr," he whispered. "Let’s wait a moment and see if they bring him out. Easier to get him from the truck than from that building."**

**She nodded and growled softly.**

**Luck seemed to be with them. Within five minutes a group of men came out of the building escorting a very large gurney on which lay a heavily trussed up and slightly squirming object. Rrarkgrrr growled again, but there was great menace in her voice. Her eyes glowed fire.**

**"Soon," Lee hissed in her ear. "Very soon." He could smell her musky scent more powerfully and knew that it had to be a reaction to her anger and anxiety.**

**Marrgrarr was loaded into the back of the truck and two men climbed in with him. Two got into the cab and started the vehicle. Several men got into a dark sedan parked in the shadows. That would put a crimp in things, Lee thought, but nothing unexpected. The new development would not make the operation impossible, just a bit more difficult. Most likely, the sedan held those involved in the purchase of the Bigfoot. Motioning to Rrarkgrrr to try and take out the car when they left the main area, Lee signaled his intent to blow the ammunitions storage area for a diversion.**

**Now he was glad he had decided to keep the ATV. That was the only way he could accomplish the demolition and get back to the truck before it reached the gate and they had discovered the breach in security. He would have abandoned the demolition efforts, but somehow Crane thought that activity would be a major factor in their success.**

**The truck slowly rolled away from the main building, followed by the car. Lee realized suddenly that Rrarkgrrr was no longer by his side. She was setting up her own ambush. He got on his vehicle and shifted it into neutral, at the same time pushing it down the hill toward the ammo dump. Halfway down the hill, even as the machine picked up speed, Lee pulled the blasting pack from inside his shirt. Ten yards from the side of the building, the ground even now, he broke open the pack and glanced at the timer. It was already set at thirty seconds. He held it between his knees and reset it for fifteen. Tucking the packet under his chin, Lee started the ignition, floored the accelerator and raced to the side of the building. He tossed the packet and revved the ATV again, even as two men raced around from the front of the building, guns at ready. Just as they prepared to fire at him, the incendiary device erupted, nearly throwing him from the little machine. The heat scorched his back and minute pellets of concrete peppered the back of his body. He lost his hat, but that was of no consequence right now. He had to get back to the truck and commandeer it if he could.**

**The blazing building behind him cast weird, dancing shadows on the road ahead of him. He jammed his foot on the pedal, trying to get more speed from the 3-wheeler. He could barely see red lights from the back of a vehicle in front of him. They were bobbing, so he knew the vehicle was trying to outrun anything that had happened in the main compound. They were also high enough to make him believe that they belonged to the truck. Of the sedan, there was no sign. Hopefully that meant that Rrarkgrrr had done her job.**

**His sure answer came almost immediately. Lee swerved to miss the tail end of the car, which was sideways across part of the road. Apparently, he thought with somewhat savage pleasure, a large hairy tree had jumped out in front of them. He continued after the deuce and a half, following the ever closer lights ahead and wondering what Rrarkgrrr was doing now.**

**Lee didn’t have long to wait in regard to anything. Behind him, the building exploded again, this time making the ground shake and splitting the darkness into bright daylight. Shots whizzed by him. They were not from ahead of him so apparently at least a few of the buyer’s men had survived the ambush. He crouched lower over the handlebars.**

**Over the conflagration behind him, Lee heard a high-pitched roar and the grinding of brakes. That was when he caught up with the truck. It had not totally stopped but had swerved sharply, presumably to avoid Rrarkgrrr. He saw one of Marrgrarr’s guards sprawled on the ground as he whizzed by. He raced toward the front of the truck and leaped to the side door, standing in the narrow step, then he grabbed the handle and tried to open the door. They had locked it. There was no time. His hold on the moving vehicle was tenuous at best. He pulled out his pistol and fired, blowing out both windows with one shot.**

**Before the surprised driver could react, Lee had grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it toward him, causing the truck to lurch precariously to the left. The passenger, more levelheaded, shot at him. The bullet grazed his shoulder, but the swaying of the truck threw the shooter’s aim off. Lee shot again and the man screamed, dropping the gun and clutching his leg. Then Lee stuck the barrel of the pistol in the driver’s face. "Stop the truck!" he ordered.**

**Apparently, the driver believed him and stomped on the brake. Crane was jerked forward but he still managed to hold on. Lee opened the door from the inside, grabbed the driver and pulled him out. When he heard a heavy thud behind him, he growled at the passenger, "Get out!"**

**"He’s mine!" the man protested in a heavy Australian accent.**

**"He was never anyone’s property," Lee snapped. "Now get out!"**

**The Australian began protesting again. "But what about my money?"**

**"Take it up with Sanders! Now get out of the truck!"**

**Something snapped behind him and Lee leaped aside, hanging on by the side mirror, just as a heavy object crashed against the door. He kicked and then grappled with the driver, delivering several punishing blows to the man’s body before his assailant fell away and lay still on the ground. An earsplitting roar almost had him jumping out of his skin. Crane turned and saw Rrarkgrrr on the other side of the truck, holding the businessman by his shirt. The man’s feet hung about a half yard off the ground and the irate Bigfoot was growling ferociously, shaking the Australian with every breath she took. "Let him go," Lee said. "We’ll drive Marrgrarr out in the truck." With a last ground-shaking roar, she tossed the man into the heavy brush where he cried out in pain and fear. Lee allowed himself a quick smile before coming back to the matter at hand. "I’ll pretend I’m the regular driver." She looked puzzled and motioned toward the back. It was obvious that she wanted to release Marrgrarr right now. "No," he answered. She growled and her eyes snapped. "Rrarkgrrr. You have to trust me." Her demeanor didn’t change, but she didn’t move; didn’t even look away from him. "There are too many people. Someone might shoot your mate. If I drive the truck out of here and then release him it will be safer." She appeared to be considering what he said. "You have to trust me," he repeated.**

**She reached over and touched his arm lightly. Then she nodded. There were more motions and pantomiming.**

**Crane breathed deeply in relief. "You get in the back and calm your mate down. Be careful, there’s a guard back there somewhere, either inside or outside of the truck. Let me get rid of him."**

**She shook her head and sniffed and listened. All Lee could hear were the sounds of munitions going off, shouts off in the distance and the moaning of the injured men on the ground. She motioned him to silence, grinned wolfishly and then slipped out of the truck. He slid partway across the seat to watch her from the side mirror. Rrarkgrrr was silent and he had to blink to make out her progress in the dark night. Suddenly she was gone and then he heard a scream from the back of the truck. There was a thud and a roar from her, which he took to mean that she had succeeded in securing the back of the truck. With a grin and a shake of his head, Lee slid back over and got behind the wheel. He perused his grazed shoulder. It burned and was bleeding a little. It was nothing of consequence, though. "You ready, Rrarkgrrr?" he shouted. He heard her answering roar and so started the truck. Quickly he pulled it back onto the road and drove toward the ranch exit. "It might be rough. Just hang in there," he added over his shoulder.**

**It didn’t take long before the guard shack loomed ahead. Instead of one half-awake guard, there were several, and their vehicle, a pick-up truck, was parked across the road. Apparently, with all the commotion in the compound, someone had called ahead and discovered the breach in security. While he knew what damage a deuce and a half could do to a pick-up, Lee also realized that it was mainly there to slow him up. The thought that there were explosives aboard occurred to him, but he dismissed it. His cargo was just too valuable. At the same time these thoughts were flitting through his head, he also knew that he couldn’t fool all of these men if he tried to bluff his way out. Throwing caution to the wind, Crane yelled a warning to Rrarkgrrr and then gunned the engine, pulling it out of the first gear he had slowed to and then shoving it into third. The engine protested loudly, there was a momentary pause as the gears connected and the truck lurched forward. The tires grabbed the hard road, spitting gravel in all directions. As soon as he had picked up a little speed, Lee pushed it into fourth.**

**Several of the men drew their weapons and began firing, but Lee continued turning the truck slightly to one side, hitting the back half of the pick-up and slamming it aside. Screeching metal marked their passage as the larger truck scraped across the mangled smaller one. Even as the men leaped aside, they continued shooting. Bullets pinged into the cab door, one whizzed through the non-existent window.**

**Suddenly the large truck was through the gate and into the darkness of freedom. Crane continued down the road. They couldn’t stop this close to Sanders’ ranch. He had to continue a short way further then the Bigfoots would have a better chance of a complete escape. Crane could hear the muted roars from the back of the truck. He hoped that Marrgrarr could be patient for a few more minutes. The truck began rocking. He couldn’t wait; he had to turn off now.**

**Finding what looked to be a wide enough and smooth enough track to negotiate the deuce and a half on, Crane turned off the road. He soon regretted his choice when brush and trees began popping up in front of his windshield. Then a large pine seemed to just materialize in front of him and he slammed on the brakes. He wasn’t fast enough. The truck hit the tree with enough force to crack its trunk in two. It was also enough force to throw Lee forward. His chest banged harshly against the steering wheel, wringing a sharp cry of pain, and then his body was slung sideways. His head banged against the window. Reality warred with unconsciousness. Even as the war continued, he heard growling in his ear, felt something grab his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the glow of Rrarkgrrr’s eyes illuminated by the one headlight that was still working. She had ripped off the door. When? Didn’t matter, he thought groggily. Slowly Crane slid out of the truck. She growled and signaled while a series of demanding barks and growls sounded a short distance away.**

**"Marrgrarr out?" Lee asked. His tongue didn’t seem to want to work. The words were slurred together.**

**She nodded and tugged on his arm.**

**Lee began to shake his head, then thought better of it. He was dizzy, but following Rrarkgrrr’s guidance, he walked away with them. There was something trickling down the side of his face and it was so hard to move one foot in front of the other one. He stumbled and then heard Marrgrarr growling ferociously. Even through the muzziness of his thinking, Crane realized that he was seriously holding them up. "Rrarkgrrr, I’m not as fast as you are. You two go on. If you see the admiral, tell him I’m coming. I want you to head for the mountains."**

**Marrgrarr growl-barked from the velvety darkness on his left. Rrarkgrrr gazed at him meaningfully, then looked behind him toward the still burning compound.**

**"I’ll be all right," Crane insisted. Finally she nodded and patted him gently on the shoulder. Then with a whuff, she turned and melted into the underbrush and trees. Lee heard the roar of vehicles coming and began to follow the Bigfoot couple, then he stopped. He couldn’t go in the same direction. Rrarkgrrr and Marrgrar had the ability to totally disappear, but they wouldn’t if he tried to follow. He had no illusions that his trail would be easy to follow. Even now, it was so hard to keep to his feet and walk in a straight line. Lee turned to his left, back toward Sanders’ ranch. Totally illogical, but the other direction cut across the road and he was sure that was well occupied. Maybe it would fool them. Maybe. He tripped, felt rocks bite into his hands and knees, and then slowly got up. The dizzy, whirling sensation increased but he doggedly continued in the direction of the gate, trying to stay off the road enough to not be seen. The world danced crazily in the darkness and he stumbled to his knees once again.**

**He had to get away, but he couldn’t get to his feet. Crane tried crawling into a denser thicket of underbrush and succeeded to get his body partway in. Behind him, he heard the muttering sound of engines get louder and louder. The sharp screech of brakes told him that someone had caught up with the wrecked truck. He crawled a bit further. Doors slammed and voices shouted. With a soft groan, Lee fell forward, lying with his cheek against the cold ground. He suddenly remembered the transmitter. He hadn’t had time to use it before. Call the admiral. Reaching inside his shirt, Lee tried to pull it out. Damn! He was laying on it. He tried to roll on his side and couldn’t. A muttered curse was all he could muster the energy to do. Then everything began to fade away and all he had left was the wish to be invisible.**

** ==================================**

**Chip Morton was not a happy camper. He would have paced if he could have. Even with the admiral’s periodic reports, he knew nothing simply because the admiral knew nothing. It was frustrating. He did know that Lee had succeeded in blowing up one of the compound’s buildings because Admiral Nelson had happily reported to him the chaos ensuing in the area. Apparently the local police had been called out along with state troopers and what other government agencies could conceivably be called upon.**

**Still, Chip was worried. He hadn’t heard from Lee. He didn’t expect to hear from Rrarkgrrr because he was literally stuck here minding the boat. And besides, once she had her mate, she would need to head for the mountains with him.**

**The Flying Sub would be perfectly safe here, hidden at the bottom of this mountain lake, he reasoned, even as he began to strip off his clothes. He rolled them in a bundle and placed them in a waterproof bag. Then he hopped over to the scuba gear and checked the tanks. They were filled and ready, just as he expected them to be. If not for his injury, he wouldn’t even need one, he thought with a sigh. It would be awkward getting out of the lake so he looked around for a crutch substitute. He saw a spear gun and reached for it, locking the mechanism. If need be, it would also serve as protection if Sanders extended his fight to Johnson’s land.**

**With difficulty, he managed the hatch. Then he sat on the edge and put on the tank, mask and flippers. Gazing morosely at the footwear, he decided that they would be useless. Only one leg worked and he didn’t want to be going in circles. He tightened the bindings holding the splints to his leg and then he slipped into the dark water. With the help of the spear gun, he managed to pull the hatch shut behind him and dog it.**

**Once in the water, he stopped and tried to breathe evenly, getting used to the chill that made his leg ache even more. He strapped the spear gun to his side, knowing he’d need his hands free for locomotion. Despite his attempts otherwise, he still found that he was breathing much faster, almost gulping the air through his regulator. The water was numbingly cold! With conscious effort, he forced his breathing to more normal levels. Chip didn’t waste time, though. It was cold enough to send him into hypothermic shock if he didn’t get out soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chip paddled with his good leg, but mostly used his arms to forge through the dark waters. Soon he broke the surface and tread water, listening and watching. There was little to see. In the distance he heard the noise of machines and a muffled explosion. There seemed to be nothing close by. Morton swam slowly toward the shore, crawling above the water line when he reached dry land. Immediately he pulled off the air tank, shivering violently. Pain shot through his leg, but he ignored it. Jerking off the mask, Chip pulled himself further onto dry land, muttering savagely about the mud and other unknowns at the water’s edge.**

**Then he heard a noise. It was soft and muted, but he knew he had heard it. Chip listened harder, holding his breath and sitting stock still. A soft growling and then the familiar voice of the Bigfoot. "Rrarkgrrr!" he hissed.**

**There was more growling about six feet behind her but Rrarkgrrr ignored it. Instead she knelt down in front of him and gently laid a limp form on the ground.**

**To Chip’s intense relief; he realized it was Lee. Then his anxiety rose again. The skipper was so still. He leaned forward and began checking for vital signs.**

**Rrarkgrrr touched him on the arm and whuffed quietly. Chip glanced up and watched as she made motions with her hands and fingers. A low growling rumbled from behind her again and Chip knew that Marrgrarr was only barely restraining his urge to fight or, more likely, to flee, due to his mate. The male Bigfoot’s voice was irritable and impatient.**

**"Thank you, Marrgrarr and Rrarkgrrr for bringing Lee back with you. I hope you can find some safety and peace wherever you go," Chip said solemnly, laying his hand on the Bigfoot female’s arm.**

**She signed some more and Chip understood that she had been unable to leave the obviously injured human despite her mate’s desire to get away from the humans who had captured him. She had brought Lee to the lake because she had felt his presence. Now she had to leave.**

**"You might want to stay close on this land. The human who lives here is pretty sure about your existence and is sympathetic."**

**An angry growl interrupted him and Rrarkgrrr shook her head.**

**"Hear me out," Chip said, desperate to check out Lee, but at the same time, concerned about the pair in front of him. "The man here won’t hurt you. He hates Sanders and would do anything to get rid of him and his people. He doesn’t ask questions and would protect both of you." Chip paused and saw that the Bigfoot couple was watching him closely now. "Why do you think you felt somewhat secure coming here? It wasn’t just the lake or me."**

**Rrarkgrrr slowly nodded.**

**"Just hide in the caves around here. Johnson will leave you alone and protect you, like I said. If, for some reason, the rancher can’t keep people from looking for you, then the admiral will come and warn you."**

**She nodded and turned to her mate. While they were conversing, Chip took the opportunity to check Lee over. The pulse was slow, but within normal range. That was good. He felt for injury and noticed something sticky on Lee’s face. Chip presumed it was blood. Didn’t seem fresh, so it must have happened during the escape.**

**He started when Rrarkgrrr touched him on the shoulder. Peering up, he saw the Bigfoot gesturing. They had agreed to hide for a couple of days before heading out.**

**Chip nodded. "Good! Go hide now."**

**Without a word the two creatures melted into the darkness. It was then that Chip turned on his flashlight and examined the skipper more closely. There was a half clotted cut just above the hairline, a large lump in the same place and Lee looked pale. The light, though, seemed to rouse him a bit and Chip turned the beam away from Lee’s face.**

**The dark eyes fluttered open, Lee moaned and then he raised his hand to his head.**

**"You banged your head on something. Bled quite a bit for a while, but it seems to be better now. Hard to tell in the dark."**

**"How? Uh, how did I get here?" Crane asked, blinking in the semi-darkness. Then as though remembering something, he reached for his pocket.**

**Curious, Chip still answered the question. "Rrarkgrrr and Marrgrarr brought you."**

**"Oh." Then after a short pause, he added, "But they left. Marrgrarr was having a fit and I told them to go." Lee closed his eyes and sighed.**

**"You okay?" Chip asked, thinking his commander might have a mild concussion.**

**"They came back," Crane murmured, eyes still shut. There was another, longer pause and Chip realized that Lee had slipped into unconsciousness again. He pulled out his communicator. "Mountaineer to Sea Dog."**

**"Sea Dog here," came the quick reply from the admiral.**

**"We’re by the lake, sir, but we need help."**

**"We?"**

**"Yes, sir. Me and . . . a friend."**

**"Be right there. Leave the homing signal open. The private wavelength."**

**"Yes, sir." Chip closed off the voice communication but kept the device on. He moved the light a little further up the bank and saw the recent visit of the two creatures clearly marked on the shore. The admiral would most likely not be alone. Chip got to one knee and dragged the tank and spear gun with him, crawling painfully over the tracks as far up the bank as he could reach. By the time he heard people in the brush, he had done about all he could do and he slid back down to where Lee still lay unconscious. Morton took a deep breath, realizing just how exhausted he was.**

**"Chip!" the admiral’s voice hissed from behind a narrow beam of a flashlight.**

**"Yes, Admiral," he answered softly. "I think Lee's hurt. He was only barely lucid for a few minutes before he passed out again.**

**Another voice sounded from behind the admiral. "You city boys don’t have the sense God gave a sheep. Two of you come out to rescue one and I need to help rescue a rescuer?"**

**Chip could only assume that this was the rancher that Lee and the admiral had been working with. Behind the light of a lantern, he could see a reassuring smile and a twinkle of merriment in the hazel eyes. "Guilty as charged, sir," Chip replied.**

**The rancher, who appeared to be as tall as he was and lanky as Lee, held the lantern high over his head. He surveyed the immediate area. "I think maybe you’d better get rid of the scuba gear, Admiral, before my men get here. They were only told that you two were here to look for your injured friend, not to dive at night in my lake."**

**With a nod, the admiral took the gear and hid it under a thick copse of brush.**

**Chip shivered again, pulled his torn and dirty shirt out of the waterproof bag and put it on, then handed the bag to the admiral. Johnson and the admiral crouched down to check on Lee while Chip finished buttoning his shirt. The sodden pants stuck to his legs and felt like ice. He shivered again.**

**"Got ‘im a fair sized bump on the head, Admiral. I’ll have my men carry him easy to the house," Johnson said after his examination.**

**Nelson only nodded. He looked at his executive officer but said nothing. All explanations would come later in privacy.**

**Several of Johnson’s men showed up and they gently carried Crane to the ranch house. Johnson and the admiral helped Chip. None of the men asked any questions. Various noises still drifted to them from Sanders’ ranch, but even that was quieting down, as was the glow of the fires from the burning buildings. A helicopter flew overhead from the neighboring ranch and then it was quiet for a moment.**

**Johnson made a sound deep in his throat then he said softly so that only Nelson and Morton could hear, "Don’t know what your captain did, but I applaud his efforts. Now I would suggest that if you want to steer clear of any kind of probing questions, you make up something fairly quickly, because the feds will be coming to the ranch asking questions soon if they aren’t there already."**

**Nelson nodded. "Simple. Chip here was hiking, fell, hurt himself and was finally able to call us for help. We came, the captain injured himself during the search and rescue and here we are. I’ll even show them the Flying Sub if they want to see it."**

**"But it’s private property for miles around. No public hiking areas. The good climbing mountains are twenty miles away," Johnson pointed out.**

**Chip just shrugged. "I was in pain." That certainly wasn’t a tall tale, he thought sourly as he hobbled between the two men. "Was also unconscious part of the time, so I don’t know exactly how I got in the neighborhood. Besides, the Flying Sub picked me up and it landed here, closer to medical help." That wasn’t a lie either, at least as far as he told it.**

**"That story has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but I can’t think of anything better, so let me just add to it," the admiral said with a slight chuckle. "Captain Crane went for help after we landed and was hurt."**

**"Your captain doesn’t know this tale," Johnson pointed out.**

**Distant lights told them they were near the rancher’s house. "Chip and I will be with him," Nelson said with finality.**

**"Well, I don’t guess too many feds would question a four star admiral too closely," Johnson said with a chuckle.**

**"Oh, I’ve had my share of grilling, but I’ve also still managed to stay above water."**

**"Indeed you have, Admiral," Johnson replied fervently.**

**They continued on in silence, reaching the rancher’s house after a short walk. Lee was gently placed in a bed in what appeared to be a guest room and Chip sank down in a sofa on the other side of the room. A woman about Johnson’s age came into the room, nodded to him and then looked in surprise at the unconscious man on the bed. "You said there was one, Joseph," she said, all the while gravitating to Lee.**

**"Well, these fellas are loyal to one another but sea and mountains are two different places," Johnson said matter-of-factly. "The captain over there, got hurt looking for his man."**

**The ranch hands left the room and the woman began to check the injured men.**

**"This is my missus," Johnson began. "Olive.* And dear, this is Admiral Harriman Nelson." He pointed to the admiral standing near the bed where his captain lay unconscious.**

**"I appreciate all that you and your husband are doing for us," Nelson said, his smile answering her surprised look.**

**"THE Admiral Nelson?" she asked, gaping for a moment. "With the big submarine?"**

**"Yes, ma’am," he answered, nodding politely in acknowledgement. "This is Commander Chip Morton," he said, indicating Chip sitting on the small love seat sofa with his leg stretched out in front of him. "And that unfortunate rescuer who had to be rescued, is my captain, Commander Lee Crane."**

**At the sound of his name, Lee began to rouse somewhat, moving slightly on the bed. A stifled moan escaped but he didn’t open his eyes.**

**"You need to call a doctor for both of these men," Olive Johnson said tersely.**

**"Already have, dear, but Jonathan is busy at the Sanders’ place. He’ll be by on his way home. He said call an ambulance if the injuries are too great. I suspect that Commander Morton will need to go to the hospital anyway."**

**Chip sat up a bit straighter at that declaration. Not that he didn’t realize it himself. You didn’t set a broken leg in some rancher’s guest room. However, he didn’t want to go now. He gazed over at Lee and saw the signs that his friend was most likely conscious enough to be listening to the conversation. The admiral looked ready to say something, probably recognizing the same thing. Before he could, though, Lee’s eyes opened and he surveyed the room and it’s occupants in puzzlement.**

**"How’d I get here?" he asked hesitantly, trying to sit up.**

**Chip jumped in before anyone could say anything. "You managed to get as far as the lake and I called the admiral."**

**More bewilderment and then the look became somewhat knowing. "Oh," was the only comment. He lay back down with a sigh.**

**Olive Johnson leaned over and examined the dried blood and gently touched the cut. This time there was no response. "There’s no telling how long it’ll be before Dr. Bryson gets here. Sounds like WWIII over there at Sanders’ place." She looked at Chip, her eyes taking in the splinted and bound leg. "Broken?"**

**Chip nodded. "Yes, ma’am," he replied. "Hiking up in the mountains. Slipped on some ice."**

**"How long ago?"**

**Chip tried to think. He took a deep breath and felt a twinge of pain. Ribs were still sore. Funny he didn’t feel that when he was swimming. "Two, three days, I believe. Everything seems to have blurred together. But I think the captain has the more immediate need."**

**"Hard to say, but I am going to wash the cut." She looked meaningfully at all the men. "After I call for that ambulance. Both of them need more than Jonathan Bryson can deliver with his little black bag." She bustled out of the room and then came in a short time later with a small bowl of hot water and clean cloths and bandages. She worked with quick efficiency and despite some half-hearted resistance from the captain, soon had him cleaned up and a bandage on the cut on his head. Then she pulled her chair up to Chip. "By the way, the emergency responder said there would be a slight delay. Their squads had all been called to Sanders."**

**"I’m okay, ma’am," Chip reassured her. "Just need a couple of aspirin. I ran out a day or so ago."**

**"That’s up to the emergency room doctor," she retorted. "I’m still going to look you over. I may not be a doctor, but with three sons and a daughter, I’ve had my share of experience doctoring in my day."**

**"Yes, ma’am," Chip acquiesced meekly.**

**The admiral and the rancher chuckled appreciatively. Olive Johnson ignored them for the moment.**

**"Anything else besides the leg?" she asked.**

**"Couple of ribs sore, ma’am, but that’s all," Chip replied.**

**She nodded even as she visually inspected his splint. "You do this?"**

**"Yes, ma’am."**

**"Not a bad job. They do teach you boys something in the Navy."**

**Chip started to bristle until he saw the smile on her face. Instead he sat quietly.**

**Just then the doorbell chimed. Without a word, Johnson got up and walked to the front door. Chip heard only snatches of conversation and then Johnson, a local cop and another man in plain clothing came into the room. There was no black bag so Chip knew that this was not Dr. Bryson.**

** \----------------------------**

***Olive was named after my great-grandmother, Olive Rosann Lamb, who was married to my great-grandfather, Joseph Johnson.**


	8. Chapter 8

**"Admiral Harriman Nelson," Johnson introduced. "Commander Crane, the captain of the admiral’s submarine and Commander Morton, his executive officer." Johnson pointed to each of them in turn.**

**The county sheriff gazed meaningfully at all three, as did the other man, a Fed, Chip decided. It was the latter who spoke first. "Kind of far a field, aren’t you, Admiral?"**

**"Kind of," Nelson said in his most even voice, one that Morton knew could also be his most dangerous. "May I ask who you are?"**

**"Thomas Malcolm, FBI," the man answered pulling out his identification and showing it to the admiral. "And this is Sheriff Wainwright."**

**"We normally find ourselves in the middle of seagoing fiascos, Agent Malcolm," Nelson said calmly. "What the hell happened next door?" Not a flicker passed over the admiral’s face other than curiosity.**

**"I was about to ask you something similar, Admiral," Malcolm said coolly.**

**"I asked first," Nelson answered frigidly. "And besides, I don’t know what happened next door. I have been on this property most of the night." He gazed intently at the agent. Chip was pleased to note that the fed dropped his eyes rather quickly. "Well, I’d like to sit and banter with you but I have two men who need medical attention and I’ve been told that medical and transportation access are impossible right now. I might as well take them on my jet and get medical care back at the Institute if I can’t get attention here for them soon."**

**"Your jet?" The two men looked at one another in astonishment and then back at the admiral, who had waited for their response.**

**"Private. Submersible. I parked it at the bottom of Johnson’s Lake when all hell began breaking loose."**

**Both of the newcomer’s gaped at him a moment.**

**Chip figured it was time for him to jump into this conversation. "Gentlemen, I came into this area on leave expecting to hike and camp. I was on my way back when I fell and hurt myself. When I didn’t come back on time, the admiral and captain began to worry. I finally got my communicator to work and they came out to find me," Chip explained before the admiral could say any more.**

**"And Captain Crane?" Malcolm asked.**

**"Captain Crane should never have gotten up on a horse," Lee grumbled, his words slightly slurred. He perused the two men through half-closed eyes then asked. "Someone got a couple of APC’s?" He closed his eyes and lay quietly.**

**"So you thought that being a boat jockey qualified you for being a cowboy?" Wainright asked with a slight chuckle.**

**"I hurt too damn bad to catch the humor," Lee retorted, glaring at the sheriff. Wainwright nodded. Then Crane seemed to remember something and looked around with his eyes, not moving his head. Seeing Mrs. Johnson, he added, "Sorry, ma’am."**

**She just smiled. "I guess if J. Golden Kimball* can be excused for some colorful language, you can, too, Captain."**

**"Who?" Lee asked and then groaned softly, his hand to his head.**

**"Sorry, a Mormon leader some years back noted for his tart language, Captain.**

**Crane just closed his eyes and sighed, "Oh."**

**"Medical help, Sheriff?" Nelson reminded Wainwright. "Or will I have to let DOD know how shoddy the military is treated around here."**

**"The doctor was finishing up when we left Sanders, Admiral," the sheriff said hastily. "He should be here soon." He paused briefly. "We’ll be leaving but someone might contact you briefly for a follow-up." He looked ready to bolt and Chip knew he would have to congratulate the admiral for his skillful art of intimidation. As it was, the sheriff nodded to Mrs. Johnson and then walked from the room.**

**Malcolm gazed at them again, his stare penetrating, and then he, too, turned and left the room as well.**

**Nelson chuckled after the pair left. "How long have you been awake, Lee?"**

**"Too long," Crane responded, opening his eyes again. "I was serious about the aspirin."**

**Mrs. Johnson laid a cool cloth on his forehead. "Dear heart, that is up to the doctor at the hospital. I am not going to presume to give you anything with a knock on the head like you have. Oh, and when all this is over, Jeffrey, our youngest can give you riding lessons."**

**"Sub’s safer," he muttered. "No need for lessons, though. I can ride. With all that going on next door, Yakima Canutt** wouldn’t have been able to stay on a horse."**

**Olive Johnson smiled. "I imagine so, Captain."**

**It wasn’t long before the doctor arrived, followed closely by an ambulance. At the regional hospital, the two men were examined. The story concocted at the ranch wasn’t questioned. To their dismay, both men were kept overnight, but by late morning of the next day, they were back at the ranch. For the moment all was calm, with only the acrid scent of exploded ordinance hanging in the air to remind everyone of what had happened the night before.**

**That evening, Chip, on crutches, carefully picked his way down a path, accompanied by the admiral. They reached the edge of the lake within a short time and sat down on a fallen tree trunk just within the line of trees near the water’s edge. The night was clear and a half moon reflected on the calm water of the lake. Chip reached down and absently rubbed his thigh at the top of a heavy cast.**

**"You all right, Chip?" Nelson asked.**

**"Yes, sir," came the reply. "Just some soreness. That was pretty potent stuff Rrarkgrrr gave me." Still, he winced at the memories of the orthopedist setting his leg. It had taken longer than usual, with the doctor grumbling the whole time about how long Chip had waited to get medical attention. As though he had had a choice, he thought sourly. The cast extended from only a few inches below his hip, down around his foot. They had not taken any chances with him, but it made it difficult to get around. The rancher had thought him nuts when he said he was taking a walk.**

**"Do you think they’ll show up tonight?" the admiral asked.**

**"I think so," Chip replied. "If not, we can try again tomorrow night."**

**"They very well might have gone away despite your advice," Nelson mused aloud.**

**"Yes, sir," Chip concurred without elaborating.**

**"I wish I had a magic place where they were assured peace and solitude," the admiral said wistfully.**

**Suddenly Chip smelled a familiar musky odor. "Rrarkgrrr?"**

**A soft whuff answered his query and Rrarkgrrr slid from the darker shadows to stand in the dim moonlight near them. The admiral stood up to greet her.**

**"Are you and Marrgrarr all right?" Chip asked, following the admiral’s lead, but much more slowly.**

**She nodded and pointed to his cast gleaming whitely.**

**"Yeah, I’ll be all right, too. Just take a while for my leg to heal inside this cast." Morton thumped the object in question.**

**Rrarkgrrr made some more gestures, pointing to her head.**

**Chip wasn’t sure what she was asking at first and then he caught on. "Oh, Lee is going to be all right, too, in a few days." He smiled. "Thanks for bringing him here. I don’t think Sanders would have been . . . any gentler on Lee than he was on your mate."**

**Rrarkgrrr growled ominously.**

**"You don’t have to worry about Sanders hurting you, but I think tomorrow night you’ll be able to safely leave the area."**

**She nodded and turned to the admiral. She made a few gestures and then laid a large hairy hand on Nelson’s shoulder. "Thangsss," she growled softly.**

**"I just wish…." The admiral’s eyes suddenly shone with an idea. "I do have an idea of a safe place where you two can live in peace. I have a friend who lives in Canada…." In the sandy shore, Nelson bent down and began to draw a map. Chip recognized the mountains of northern Idaho and the border of Canada. There were more mountains. The admiral drew a lake, several roads and a town. "My friend bought about a thousand acres in this area, most of it mountains. He wanted a refuge not only for himself, but for any creatures that lived there. No hunting, no tourists."**

**Rrarkgrrr gazed at the map and then studied the admiral. She nodded again and thanked him again. Then she whuffed and turned back to Chip. There were quite a few gestures and pantomimes and the exec had trouble following at first. Without warning, she stopped ‘talking’ and wrapped her hairy arms around Chip. She gave him a mighty bear hug. Just as suddenly, she released him and melted into the forest.**

**"Good-bye, Rrarkgrrr," Chip said softly. "And good luck."**

**Only the sighing of the aspen leaves replied. The two men slowly started back to the ranch house.**

**"What did she say to you before she left?" Nelson asked.**

**"I’m not positively sure, Admiral," Chip replied, still trying to figure out her gestures. Then it dawned on him and he began to chuckle and then to laugh. He had to stop so he wouldn’t fall. Nelson kept a steadying hand on his arm and a puzzled expression on his face.**

**"What?" the admiral asked.**

**"Rrarkgrrr is going to have a baby. That’s why she was so desperate. She wanted her mate with her when it was time."**

**"Well, I’ll be!" was the admiral’s response. "I just hope they find Clemmon’s refuge before it’s time for the baby’s birth."**

**"So do I," Chip said. "So do I." With that they continued slowly toward the rancher’s house.**

** \-----------------------------------**

***J. Golden Kimball (1853-1938) was a leader in the LDS (Mormon) Church during the late 1800's until his death in 1938. He was a frank, but earnest speaker and religious teacher, whose language was sprinkled liberally with various expletives, learned while a boy working with teamsters to support his widowed mother. <http://jgoldenkimball.com/> and [http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/w/o/wol3/kimbajg1.htm](http://jgoldenkimball.com/) are sites that give some more info on Elder Kimball. **

****'Yakima' Canutt (1894-1986) was a rodeo performer before becoming a highly rated and accomplished stuntman in Hollywood. He preferred coordinating and performing stunts to acting. <http://www.win.net/~ltreed/yak/> tells more about "Yak". **


End file.
